


Reversed Moon

by douchegrayson



Series: Lunar [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Illusions, In case you were wondering, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Time and Wild are gonna try their best to help him, Twi is the one with the PTSD, also it's fucking cold, and all the fun stuff that comes with it, obviously, so maybe a warning for, the boys are back y'all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23377234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/douchegrayson/pseuds/douchegrayson
Summary: The Shadow Portal underneath Hyrule Castle took Twilight away, back to his brothers and now it's up to him to save them from an unexpected enemy.
Series: Lunar [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568821
Comments: 36
Kudos: 153





	1. Whiteout

**Author's Note:**

> i'm at home like every single fucking person on the planet probably (aside from the good ppl working in retail and hospitals) so I started on this.
> 
> as I was roaming the w w w, or the worldwide web as some experts call it, i looked up tarot meanings, as one does, and screamed at how fucking well The Moon goes with Twilight, at least by the Rider Waite definition so bear with me, please.
> 
> this time, the chapters might be shorter since I decided to give every Link their own.
> 
> I hope you stay safe and indoors and that my story can cheer you up!

* * *

**_The Moon (Upright)_ ** \- 

The Moon represents your fears and illusions and often comes out when you are projecting fear into your present and your future, based on your past experiences. You may have a painful memory that caused emotional distress, and rather than dealing with the emotions you pushed them down deep into your subconscious. Now, these emotions are making a reappearance, and you may find yourself under their influence on a conscious or subconscious level.

**The Moon (Reversed)** \- 

The Moon reversed indicates that you have been dealing with illusion, fears and anxiety, and now the negative influences of these energies are subsiding. You are working through your fears and anxieties, understanding the impact they have on your life and how you can free yourself from such limiting beliefs. This is a truly liberating and transformational experience.

* * *

  
Twilight wrapped the layers of fabric tighter around his upper body as he forced his way through the relentless snow that was raging around him in wild flurries. 

He had honestly not believed that stepping through that Shadow Portal would take him directly into his own Hyrule, but he had been dropped into the snow at the entrance of the repopulated Hidden Village all the same. 

It had almost lead him to believe that maybe Hylia favored him just once. 

Knowing no one else in the village, he had struggled to his feet after catching his breath and waded through the snow that was covering the streets, although the village was sheltered by the rough walls of the canyon.

If things were this bad here, he didn’t want to know what the rest of his Hyrule looked like. 

He had knocked on Impaz door just ten minutes later and the old, old woman had quickly urged him inside and provided him with a hot bath that he had gladly taken. While he had rested in the wooden bathtub, he had stared at the ceiling, his mind racing. 

He had landed in his Hyrule. 

He was in the same place as his brothers. 

Despite the snow, he had a very real chance to find them. The wooden pendant was warm against his chest and he held it in his palm, feeling the warmth spread through the scarred tissue of his palm. That meant he had to be close.

So, after a night’s rest and load of cloaks that Impaz had so generously offered to him, he had wrapped his head in a scarf, pulled on his wolf pelt and had set out to follow the warmth of the pendant.

His steps had taken him towards Lake Hylia but the wooden planks that led to Falbi’s Flight-by-Fowl shack were inaccessible because of the ice. The big stone bridge that spanned the chasm above Lake Hylia didn’t seem much better. Twilight held onto the columns of the bridge to look down. As he had expected, the surface of Lake Hylia was frozen solid. 

He growled in the back of his throat and tried not to think about what that meant for the Zoras. He had to find the group first and then they could get to the bottom of this. 

Slowly, he made his way across the bridge. 

The sharp cold winds were pulling at his scars and the scarf provided a lot less protection than he would have liked. He could feel the frigid chill of the stone seep through his boots, freezing his toes. 

The skin around his prosthetic was throbbing painfully, despite the fact that he had shoved it under his armpit in an effort to keep it warm. 

There was not a soul out, not even the occasional bat or a moblin. White was obscuring his view and he couldn’t tell where the bridge ended and the dirt road started again. He had crossed this bridge many many times, on Epona’s back, on his own feet, on his own paws- 

  
Twilight stopped dead in his track, his eyes wide as a terrible thought dawned on him. Had they found a safe and warm place for Epona? Was his beloved steed alright or had she already succumbed to the cold? At the thought that Epona could be dead, his heart clenched in his throat and he needed a minute to calm down again.

Ilia was there. She would make sure that Epona was okay when he couldn’t. He squeezed his eyes shut as he forced the tears back and moved on.

His pack first.

Then the rest.

The bricks on the bridge were not even and sometimes hard to cross even on the best of days. Twilight felt the drop in the pit of his stomach before his brain really registered it. His foot slipped too far forward and brought him down on his back hard. The pain reverberated up and down his spine and he parted his cracked lips as a harsh cough shot out.

“Shit…” he cursed, gasping for air as stars danced at the edge of his vision. He knew he should get up but his legs were numb from the cold and he couldn’t quite feel his toes or the tip of his fingers. 

Goddess, he would kill for being able to use some fire magic or something right now.

Twilight grabbed a hold of a stone pillar and pulled himself up again with a groan that hurt the back of his throat. 

He stumbled a second time when he reached the end of the bridge but caught his footing in the last second. He let out a big sigh and then spotted something through the snow. A piece of blue fabric.

Twilight lurched forward, fighting his way through the snow until he could grab a hold of the cloth and pull it out from where it was stuck beneath a piece of ice. 

“Wild…” he whispered and tried to find the path they could have gone, but it was all just white, snow. Slowly, he pulled his lips into a thin line and held the scarf to his nose. 

His wolf senses had never really left him, even though he had not used the Shadow Crystal in weeks. Sure enough, when he brought the fabric to his nose, the familiar scent of wild herbs and rain filled his senses and he closed his eyes.

The blue hue that shrouded his vision did little to change the scenery, but now, a multicolored track appeared before him and a flame of hope was set ablaze in his chest. It worked.

Wild’s scent would lead him to them.


	2. Blue Koholint

The sun was shining down from a clear and bright blue sky, heating up the sand that Link felt between his toes. Waves came rushing up, brushing over his feet and carrying the sand away back into the ocean. Above him, seagulls were cawing as they sailed in the soft winds of the day, occasionally diving down to grab a fish from the waters. He had discarded his heavy boots and socks, putting them out of the way of the water behind the tree stump he was sitting on. He had stretched his legs out as far as possible and kept his eyes closed, just letting the sun blast him and warm every inch of his being. 

This was the perfect day.

No fighting, no puzzles to solve, no dungeons to trespass; just him - Link - by himself, back on Koholint. 

Well, not quite by himself, judging by the footsteps that were coming closer. 

A featherlight laugh grazed his ears, a melody that really added to the wholeness of the day. “There you are!” Marin chimed and hopped onto the log next to him. “I’ve been looking for you all over the place. Madam MeowMeow was wondering if you were in the mood to take BowWow for a walk some time soon. She said he looked so happy when you took him for a walk last time.” 

“Hm.” Link hummed and opened his eyes to look up at her. She was absolutely radiant in the sunligt from above, her chestnut hair framed her heart shaped face and her eyes were the perfect shade of caramel.

She was smiling at him, such kindness displayed on her features that Link momentarily forgot how to breathe.

“Hmmaybe”, he added quickly. “If I’m in the mood.” he mumbled and Marin laughed, which made him light up again. She settled on the log and placed her hand close to his, in a way that made her little finger brush over his and sent his heart into the netherealm. 

For a little bit, they sat together and the only sound arround them was the rushing of the waves, the caws of the seagull and their even breathing and Link wished it would stay like this forever. That he could just be here, in this moment, with no one else but Marin at his side. 

“ _ Legend. _ ”

He jerked and opened his eyes again, looking around. Legend? What legend?

“ _ Wake up _ .”

“Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Link turned around swiftly to look at Marin, who gave him a concerned expression. “You look a little out of it. Are you not feeling well?” she asked and place a soft hand on his forehead. Link didn’t retreat. Her touch was nice and comforting and made him forget the voice immediately. 

He brushed her hand off, however, after a moment in a gentle way. “Of course I’m alright.” he said and found his own voice sounded … weird. Link cleared his throat and smiled at her. 

“Should we try to catch some crabs for dinner?” he suggested as he bent down to roll up the cuff of his pants. 

“Oh!” Marin cheered and took her sandals off. “Yes, that sounds like fun! Luckily I brought a little bucket with me!”

“ _ Legend, I need you to listen to me. _ ”

Link shook his head as he started to march into the shallow waves, his eyes trained on the sand underneath. Legend wasn’t his name. His name was Link. Whoever was speaking clearly did not mean him. He didn’t even recognize that voice.

He focused on any movement beneath the water. Marin next to him dove forward with a cheerful shout, splashing all around as she tried to snatch one of the crabs.

“ _ This isn’t real. You’re going to get hurt. _ ” 

Link’s head snapped up once more as he looked around. 

How could this not be real, he was on Koholint, he felt the water around his calves, he felt the sun beating down on him. Nothing had ever felt as real as this.

And still-

“ _ Legend! _ ”

“Link! Look over here!”

“Marin…?” He turned towards her once more and stumbled back when he noticed the dagger in her hand. Her eyes had lost all their warmth, her smile was stretching too far on her face. 

“Marin!! Stop!!” Link shouted and scrambled away from her. Where were his weapons? His sword? His shield?!

Just as the young woman wanted to bring the blade down on his chest, she stopped dead in her tracks. A gurgling sound wrangled itself from her throat as blood surged over her lips and down her chin. The dagger dropped from her hand as she Link and both looked down on the dark sword that had pierced her chest.

“Marin!”

“ _ It’s not real _ !” the strange voice overlapped with Marin’s scream as she collapsed. As soon as her body hit the water, a wave far bigger than her impact should allow, rolled over Link, blinding and deafening him to the beach, to the sun blasting down, to the island behind them, to the world-

It was cold.

  
It was so unbearably cold. 

Link came to with a mighty gasp and opened his eyes. In a matter of seconds, it all came back to him. 

Legend. That was his name. His nickname. Because he was traveling with eight- no seven other versions of the Hero of Courage, all named  _ Link _ . 

They had started as a group of nine but had to leave one of their brothers behind. 

They had travelled through a Hyrule that was not his own. They had crossed a land that was on the verge on being completely buried in snow, the wafts of ice had went up to his thighs and the one whom this Hyrule belonged too - he wasn’t with them. He wasn’t with them to guide them around.

And so they had wandered until they had found a set of caves. Seeking shelter from the harsh storms, they had ventured inside and then- 

Then …?

Then he had been sitting on a log at the shores of Koholint. 

He was on the ground now, dressed in thick winter furs and looked up at a person who was concealed by similiar garments. Their face was hidden beneath a dark pelt and a rough looking, brown scarf, revealing nothing of who could hide behind it. Plus, they held the sword that had just been stuck in Marin’s chest in their right hand. Bright blue … sparks? Seemed to race along their right arm.

Legend scurried to his feet and drew his sword, pointing it at the attacker. “Who are you?!” he asked.

The stranger sheathed their sword almost immediately, putting their hands up. “It’s me!” they said, voice muffled and scratchy behind the fabric. Very carefully, they moved their hands to the edge of their hood and pulled it down, letting the scarf follow suit. 

Legend lowered his sword slowly and narrowed his eyes, daring to step closer to him. The person was tall, so he had to look up to him.

Shaggy hair in a dirty blonde shade was hiding a face full of dark scars. Intense, steel blue eyes were looking down on him. Legend gasped and dropped his sword completely.

“Twilight!!” he shouted in disbelief and grabbed him by the upper arms. “How did you- how are you doing?! What happened??” he wanted to know as Twilight put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. 

“I’ll tell you once we find the rest, okay? I think I have an idea on what’s happening to you.” he said. His voice barely rose above a moderate indoor voice and his breathing seemed strained.

Legend grimaced at the fact he would have to wait longer for his answers. But he followed him regardless, through winding tunnels. His brother seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go and so Legend allowed his thoughts to stray.

How could he have thought that Koholint was real? He should have known better. He would never again roam the strange forests or push his toes into the white sands of the beach. He would never take BowWow for a walk again or listen Marin sing the Ballad of the Windfish. He would never … never see Marin again.

Legend balled his hands at his sides, pushing them under his armpits in order to keep them warm. He had promised himself never to think about Marin again. It was something he failed on every day but now?

Her touch and her warmth had felt so real. Her smile had been so radiant.

“Fuck.” he cursed and angrily rubbed the tears out of his eyes.

“You okay?” Twilight asked, looking over his shoulder. He stopped and Legend almost bumped into him. 

“What?! Yeah, I’m fine!”

“You didn’t get hurt, right?”

“No! How the hell did you even find me?”

Twilight pulled something away from underneath his belt. Wild’s scarf. “I found this outside and followed your scent. You were the first I came upon. You just stood there in the center of the cave and your eyes were all glassy.” he said, which caused Legend to narrow his eyes. 

“But you… you stabbed my illusion just when she attacked me …” he mumbled and Twilight shifted a little. “There was an enemy in the room with you. A poe. He had you under his spell and was about to attack you. I took care of it.” he said, although it sounded like he wasn’t telling the total truth.

“.... Fine. Can we find the others, too?” Legend relented and tried to look over Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight nodded.

“There seems to be only one way to go, so if we follow the scent, I’m sure we come upon them.” he said.

“Lead the way, then.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue Hawaii by Elvis Presley is a melancholy song and I think Legend might be a little melancholy about Koholint too, sometimes.


	3. Respite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's my birthday today! so here is a new chapter!
> 
> Me: "Hey, which Link should they gather up next?"  
> My GF: "The pretty one."

* * *

Legend slammed his hands under his armpits as he walked embarassingly close to Twilight’s side. 

When they had started on their track through the other’s Hyrule, they had meant to seek shelter in the caves to wait out the blizzard, but the caves had provided only protection from the wind and nothing else. Even among the jagged walls of the natural corridor they followed, the chill stung at their skin and froze the tip of their pointy ears. 

Twilight’s breath came out in ragged, short bursts, white clouds in front of his concealed mouth. The scarf seemed to offer very little protection. Like Legend, Twilight had his arms tightly wrapped around himself and his head ducked low. They didn’t speak much as they trudged on, even though a million questions were burning on Legend’s tongue.

Could Twilight have found them, really just with the pendant? 

Why did he make sure that he kept the scarf over his mouth and nose this tightly? He doubted there was much breathing room underneath the wool.

Legend had a sudden flashback to a lifetime ago,  _ half a year _ his mind supplied, when they had stood face to face with Twilight, bathed in ominous glowing darks. He thought back to the fangs that had sprouted from his jaws, thought back to the too wide grin, the glaring yellow eyes.

A wolfo in a human’s hide.

“Twilight, are you okay?” he asked just when Twilight reached out his hand and lifted his head.

“Warriors.” he said at the same time.

***

The massive bonfire on the common grounds of his troops drew a nice, warm orange contrast against the pitch black night that had fallen over camp. The cracking wood of a collapsing log caused flicks of ember to shoot up into the sky before they faded away in the cool night air. The few people still awake sat around the source of warm and loudly exchanged stories about their likes, their lives and their wives. Or husbands, in some cases.

Princess Zelda sat among her soldiers, her armor discarded for the night as she revelled in the stories they shared. She looked at ease and even laughed at the dirtiest of jokes that left some of the men howling in laughter. 

Impa stood behind her, ever vigilant, but even on her face, a hint of a smile was visible.

Link, as the Captain, did not have the luxury to loiter around the fire like his men and companions. He patrolled along the perimeter, but more often than not found his feet guiding him back to the comfortable noises coming from around the fire. 

The night was cold, Cia and her monsters loomed at the edge of the lands, war was on the horizon.

But close to the orange glow, his worries almost faded away. 

It almost allowed his mind to stray down a path he had blocked off previously.

Yes, they would all make it out alive. Each and every of his men, of his comrades, would be able to go home, back to their hometowns, back to their normal lives, back to their wives. 

The Master Sword, the Blade of Evil’s Bane, would remain true to its word and Link would never let its power get to his head again. The hilt clad in shiny blue and black leather felt soft in his palm as he squeezed his fist tightly around it. 

It was, without a doubt, the most magnificent blade he’s ever had the honor of wielding. 

But, this night, all thoughts of war were far away from him. Chatter and laughter chimed on the wind and music, too. Someone must have brought out one of their ocarinas and let it play. It was nice to hear that they knew how to use it for its original intent and not just as a quick way to get around the battlefield. 

“You should join us.” a soft voice said and a figure appeared in the corner of his eyes. “It’s cold and lonely out here on patrol.” Zelda said. She had a blanket drapped around her shoulders and held two tin cups in her hands. 

It smelled suspiciously like hot cocoa and it really could only have been Zelda who could conjure up such a drink in the middle of a battlefield. 

“Someone has to keep watch, your highness.” he said and turned to face her fully, bowing in front of her. The smell of the hot chocolate was too good to pass up, however, and so he reached out and grabbed the field cup from her. 

“You’re not wrong”, Zelda said as she took the place next to him, wrapping both her hands around the cup again. “But you’re not alone. Somebody else can keep watch while you rest. When have you last stepped out of that armor and slept through the night?” she asked.

Just when Link meant to raise the cup to his lips, his ear twitched.

_ “Warriors.” _

“Huh?” he asked and focused back on Zelda. “I asked when did you last slept through the night?” she repeated herself, taking a sip of her own hot chocolate.

“I slept yesterday.” he said, still looking around him. Who did that voice belong to?

“Are you sure? You look rather tired.” 

“Yes.” Link said and faced her again. “I just thought I heard something.” he said. 

“You’re really not helping your case here.” Zelda said with an amused tilt of her head.

“ _ Listen to me. This is not real. You are not really wherever you think you are. _ ”

Link frowned deeply, his hold on the tin mug tightening. He was suddenly painfully aware that his left side was unguarded. That he was holding a mug instead of a shield. 

“ _ Warriors. _ ”

He was a warrior, the voice was not wrong. But it wasn’t his name. He felt like he had been called this once. When he was with someone. Or maybe that had just been once upon a dream. 

“ _ Wake up! _ ”

Maybe it was because he was on guard, anyway, but he heard the swoosh of metal through air and whirled around, parrying Zelda’s rapier in the last moment before it could pierce his neck.

“Your Highness?!” he asked as the weapon was reflected and Zelda was forced back, finding her footing again. 

“You were too careless”, she whispered, darkness creeping over her skin. She spoke with a voice that wasn’t quite her’s but rather sounded like someone else was speaking with her. “You thought you could let your men relax for one night, well now you’re going to pay the price!”

Cia. It was Cia’s voice. It was Cia that had taken a hold of Zelda, right under his very nose. 

“No!” he gasped as Zelda rushed forward and lashed out to attack him again. Link blocked her. “Stop! Your highness, you are not being yourself! You have to fight her!” he shouted, bringing his blade up, again and again as she bore the rapier down on him. 

Just when she threw her hand out to cast a spell at him, a dark blade protruded from the center of her chest, covered in crimson blood that glittered in the distant light of the campfire. 

“ **No** !” Link dropped his own sword immediately and rushed to catch her before she could collapse. He cradled her against his chest and frantically looked around, trying to find the attacker, but whoever it had been, whatever blade had pierced her chest was … gone. As if it had never existed.    
  
“No… your Highness …” he said, breathless and placed her on the ground carefully, pressing both his hands on her chest. “Impa!! Impa, I need you!!” he shouted blindly into the night, Zelda’s warm blood spilling through his fingers. His fingers touched her wound, his breath came out in shallow rattles.

It was as if the ground was slipping away from him. Zelda suddenly seemed impossibly far away, he had his hands reached out for her but he was touching nothing, his hands felt around the darkness and then-

Cold.

Cold, hard ground underneath him, sharp pebbles pressing against the nerves of his palms.

He was on his knees, feeling the chill deep in his bones.

“Warriors.” a rough voice said from somewhere above him and then, there were hands under his arms, carefully helping him into a sitting position. Two men were with him, in the glazed over cave that was surrounding him. The one who had helped him was Legend - he recognized his grip and the pattern of his gloves. 

But the one kneeling in front of him, the one that had put a hand to his shoulder …?

The hand felt weird. Cold and hard, like the ground underneath him and stiff, but not from the cold. Warriors lifted his head again, trying to gather his bearings and recognize whoever was in front of him.

It was the black pelt around his shoulders that gave him away.

“Twilight?!”


	4. Paint the Town Green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna keep asking my girlfriend which Link they should meet next because the conversation that took place before I wrote this is really a testament to our 8 year long relationship
> 
> Me: Which Link should they pick up next?  
> GF: Pepe  
> Me: ..... Pepe?  
> GF: You know, the one you always forget about.  
> Me: .......... ............. Four??  
> GF: Yeah.
> 
> i cried for five minutes I still don't know why she thought his name was Pepe!!!!

* * *

“Are we not gonna talk about this?” Warrior’s asked, teeth chattering as he wrapped his scarf tightly around his own head a second time for good measure. The winter clothing the princess had provided for them were good, fine furs and sturdy leather laced with thick cotton to keep out the cold, but no one could have prepared them for the cold outside. 

It had not taken long for the Link’s to assume that this cold definetly was not natural. And yet the knowledge had not protected them from the blizzard. Or the fact that even in the caves it had been so unbearably cold that they had kept the little one’s in the middle of the group. The little ones being Wind, Four, Hyrule and Legend, even though the latter hated to admit he belonged in the group.    
  
But then they had been forced to step into a particulary dark cave to get further away from the winds that were rushing into their stone shelter. 

And all at once, they had gotten seperated. 

“Talk about what?” Twilight asked from behind his scarf as he soldiered on. Warriors struggled to keep up with him, while Legend almost had to jog. It hurt in his near frozen legs and the excercise was not enough to warm him up. It felt like nothing could warm him up.

“You!” the other barked out. “You come back, you look like you were never hit by this weird machine - well except for the scars but Wild has scars, too - and you march through here -  _ following our scent _ ? But you aren’t even a wolf! What’s going on??” he wanted to know between chattering teeth.

That was good. Getting worked up warmed him up properly. Or so he hoped. Legend thought he had stopped feeling his toes a while back.

Twilight let out a low groan - or was it a growl? - and buried his face further in his scarf and hood. “I promise I’ll tell you, okay? Once all of us are back together, I’ll tell you everything.” he said.    
  
“Why can’t you tell us now?”

Because talking hurt, Twilight thought, it hurt just like breathing and walking and focusing on the scents hurt. 

His jaw hurt. 

There were bones in his mouth.

Ahead, the smell of a forge filled the air. The scent of fresh ambers and cooling iron mixed with the wild herbs of Hyrulean forests and a magic he couldn’t quite pin. Something that prickled in nose and always made him want to sneeze.

“Four is close.” he said, instead of answering Legend.

***

The sun was bearing down on them as Link and Zelda marched down the well worn path through the rolling fields of Southern Hyrule. The princess chattered excitedly about the new treats Pina had promised to make this year, so she could up her game and sell more product than “that stupid ol’ Green Headed Bloke”, Zelda said, imitating Pina in an over the top upset voice. 

Link laughed at her impression. As the previous years, he was once more carrying a freshly smithed blade in his arms, wrapped in soft linen.

Zelda couldn’t help but laugh as well. “I’m telling you, they are secretly in love. We should try to set them up!” she said and elbowed him, which made the smaller sway a little in place. He grimaced at that, upset that in their teen years, Zelda had grown taller than him. Not by much but still enough to be noticeable. 

But - one day he would be tall, he promised himself that. No matter how many vegetables he had to eat.

“Are you sure? I think if we walk up to Brocco and tell him, ‘Hey, have you ever considered asking Pina out?’ he would shove a whole carrot down our throat.” he said dryly and it made Zelda shudder.

“You’re right. I hate carrots.” she agreed.

Slowly, the entrance to Hyrule Town came into view. “But maybe we have to be more subtle about it?” she wondered. “What if we write love letters in their name and stash them around their stands?” she asked, her eyes glimmering at the romantic prospect. “And then when the festival is over and they put their belongings together, they find them and read them and fall in love!” 

Huh, Link thought, that didn’t even sound like a bad plan … 

“If you find time during all the commotion of the festival to write some letters then maybe it works?” 

Zelda deflated. Right. She was way too busy during the Picori Festival to be hatching any elaborated Love Plans.

“But maybe you could …?”

“No.” Link said right away, shaking his head so quickly that his blond hair whipped around his face, barely held out of his eyes by the headband he was wearing.

“No way. I want to live. And you always complain about how my handwriting is terrible.”

The market place of the town was already bustling with people. Here and there, vendors from the far away parts of Hyrule were offering their goods and services. 

Colorful banners were suspended between the stalls, flags waving in brilliant red and soft yellows. 

A band was playing cheerful tunes, ocarinas playing in harmony with dulcimers and soft tamborines. Kids were dancing in front of the band and as they walked past it, Zelda’s hands were grabbed by two girls and she was pulled into a ring-around-the-rosy. 

She laughed as she joined the kids, whirling around with them and her lilac skirt flew about her wildly. 

Link watched them with a smile, the sword held securely in his arms.

“ _ Four. _ ”

He flinched and looked over his shoulder. There was no one there and besides- four what? Four days? Four pieces of bread? He thought he knew most of the locals, even the one that only came here once a year for the festival. But this voice he had never heard before. 

“Hey, what are you spacing out for?” Zelda appeared in his field of vision, standing so close to him that their noses were almost touching. 

Link squaked in shock and reared his head back, clutching his heart with his fist and almost dropping his sword. 

“Zelda!” he shouted and the princess laughed.

“Let’s go, they’re waiting for the sword.” she hooked her arm with his and dragged him further down the festival grounds.

“ **_Green! Wake up! This isn’t real._ ** ”

Link frowned even deeper at that. Another voice calling out for him. Again he looked around but there was no one to be seen. 

“Are you hearing this?” he asked Zelda, who was bent over a stall that offered various glittery jewelries. “Hm?” she asked and Link scratched a spot behind his ear. “Hear what?” she asked and Link sighed, hefting the blade up more.

“It’s … it feels like someone is calling me?” he said. 

“ _ Four, you have to wake up before things get serious. You need to get up. _ ”

Link whirled around and looked through the people, frowning. Suddenly, the people didn’t seem to have faces anymore. There were too many of them, crowding in on him.

He took a step back, then another only to bump into Zelda, who stood behind him.

“Watch out-” he began to say as more of the faceless people were swarming in.

Someone in his head shouted alarm. Multiple people even. They were all calling him ‘Green’ or ‘Four’ and urged him to open his eyes. He dropped the sword and his hands flew up to cover his ears.

“My eyes are open!!” he shouted, confused but as he moved forward, he bumped into the faceless crowd and was shoved back. Another set of hands caught him and pushed him back forward.

**“Green!”** \-  **“Open your eyes, Green!”** \-  _ “Four, we’re here. Wake up.” _ \-  **“You have to snap out of it!”** \-  _ “Four!” _

Someone grabbed Link’s arm and forced him around. 

Zelda had picked up the sword from the ground and was hovering it above Link’s head, ready to strike.

He realized she was just as faceless as the people that were closing in on him.

“No!” he shouted, squeezing his eyes shut as the blade came down. 

Link waited for his demise but it never came. 

Everything around him seemed to come to a halt. No one was pushing in on him and even all the voices were silent. 

There was a whimper coming from before him and he opened his eyes again. A dark blade protruded from Zelda’s chest, ruby red blood dripping down on the cobblestone beneath them.

Link’s eyes widened at the sight and he rushed forward, grabbing Zelda as she fell forward. “No… no!” he said. His hands were stained in blood and he felt incredibly cold, all of the sudden, like the sun had never shone on him that day. 

Suddenly, the Picori Festival was far far away. 

The sun drenched cobblestones were gone, replaced with rough stone that jabbed his sides and his knees hurt. The blue skies had vanished, replaced with glaced over rock. His breath was heavy in his chest as he slowly came back to himself.

Someone was hovering in his view again, a face he didn’t recognize immediately because it was disfigured by scars and was partly concealed with a scarf and a hood. 

“Who-” he gasped and wanted to jerk back but his body no longer seemed to listen to him. His hands and feet were numb and he was shaking violently. The stranger grabbed his shoulders gently.

“It’s okay”, he said, his voice scratchy and strained and familiar. “It’s me, Twilight.” he said and it all came back to Link.

His nickname was Four. He was stuck in a cavesystem. He had gotten seperated from the group, somehow. All of them had.

How long had he been lying here? Too long, he feared, by the way how numb his body felt and how much he was shaking.    
  
“Twi…?” he asked confused and the taller one nodded.

“Yes.” Twilight pulled him into a sitting position “Warriors, I need a hand here.” he said over his head. 

“Warriors…?” Four mumbled, his ears feeling like they were stuffed with cotton. Warriors was here?

“He looks bad.” another voice added and Legend appeared in his field of vision, teeth chattering and face creased in worry.

Legend, too? Had Twilight found them all?

  
Something was wrapped around him and a warm hood was placed over his head. He felt fur brush against his face and suddenly, someone lifted him up into a piggy back carry, a back pressed to his chest that was not nearly as cold as the ground he had been on just a minute ago. 

“What… are you doing…?” Four mumbled, his voice coming out in a slur. He knew he should probably stay awake but it was so hard. Twilight jostled him a little as he made him comfortable on his back.

“I’m carrying you. You can’t walk with how cold you are and we have to find the others.” he said. His voice sounded nothing like the voice Four remembered Twilight to have, but the way he spoke was unmistakingly him. “You have to stay awake for us, okay?” he told him gently and Four huffed with a dry laugh.

“I’ll try.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just noticed that they picked up Four in the fourth chapter, hehe.


	5. Falling Skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to say thank you for all the comments, I usually reply to them but some of my answers would require spoilers for the story, so be a little more patient with me?
> 
> I'm happy to hear, however, that you still like this series and are keeping up with it even though I'm not at all satisfied with the way I'm writing it right now ;;
> 
> This chapter goes out to my girlfriend, of course, and her very short journey into Skyward Swords. She didn't make it through the tutorial and kept falling off the ledge by the Knight's School. You know the one where you learn that Link jumps by himself? Wii controls were whack and I love my girlfriend xD
> 
> also I'm very bad at chapter titles.
> 
> THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEARING WITH ME; STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY

* * *

The track wasn’t getting easier with Four nestled against his back. The younger had buried his face in Twilight’s scarf. He gave the younger one a little shove every so often so he wouldn’t drift too far. “Stay with us.” he said to him, quietly and Four just nodded and let out a groan.

“I’m so fucking cold….” he complained and Twilight nodded. “I know.” he said and glanced over his shoulder, were Warriors and Legend were huddled against each other.

“Not much longer. I can smell another one up ahead.” he said and hoped it would give Four some more hope and more reason to hold on.

“Who?” Warriors asked between clattering teeth. 

Twilight scrunched his nose behind the scarf. The smell was light, barely there as if it was constantly carried away with the wind. There was a hint of pumpkin and the scent large birds that worked their muscles all day.

“Sky.” so Twilight said.

***

There was nothing underneath Link’s feet but a vast ocean of clouds and that was the way he loved it. 

He sat atop the Light Tower, his feet dangling off the edge as he let the sun blast down on him and warm him to the deepest part of his body. He didn’t know why, but he really wanted to be close to warmth. As if he had felt cold before. 

Which was silly. He had woken up this morning and had made his way up the Light Tower after breakfast. He had no reason to feel cold.

He took a very deep breath, inhaling all the smells that were whirling around him. In the distance, he could tell a fresh patch of pumpkin soup was prepared at the bar. Red was circling around the island, waiting for him to whistle for him so they could soar through the skies. A mix of all sorts of smells was rising from the various skyholes in the roof of the Skyloft Bazaar. 

It was a very calm morning. Calm enough for him to almost drift back to sleep, with the way the sun and the wind were playing around his features. He closed his eyes and leaned back on his arms with a satisfied hum. He should have slept longer. His bed had been so comfortable.

This was nice, too, though.

Someone grabbed his shoulders and gave him a gentle shove forward, not enough to actually push him off the ledge but enough to startle him out of his half daze. Link let out a yelp and looked up to the bell like laugh that followed his start.

“Zelda!”

The blonde giggled and sat down next to him, evening out her skirt as she did so. “Sorry”, she chuckled, even though she didn’t sound in the least bit apologetic about the whole thing. “It’s just so easy to startle you. Did you really sleep?!” she asked and Link vehemently shook his head.    
  
“No! I was just dosing!” he defended himself with a small smile. “It’s a nice enough day for it, no?” he pulled his legs into a crossed position and turned so he could face his sunshine properly. 

“It is.” she agreed as she in turn let her legs dangle off the ledge and turned to smile at him. 

Even though her smile had been with him for the majority of his life, he would never grow tired of it. The way it lit up her entire face and caused a little crinkle around her eyes made his heart jump. 

He didn’t hesitate to reach out and brush her hair back over her shoulder, a soft smile playing around his face. Zelda answered with the same smile, catching his hand in hers and kissing his calloused palms softly. “I missed you”, she said softly. “You’re never around anymore, always flying out with Red.” Link slipped closer to her so that she could sit between his legs and lean against him. 

“I’m sorry”, he apologized. He wished he could defend himself but he really had no solid reason for staying off the island for so long after his adventure. It felt like a voice kept calling him, begging him to dive beneath the clouds and come back to the surface.

“ _ Sky. Wake up. _ ”

Link blinked a few times and looked up with a frown. The sky above the islands was a brilliant blue. “But I am awake.” he said confused and Zelda shifted a little. She had taken to drawing little circles on his arms with her index finger. “What did you say?” she asked.

“I’m awake. Didn’t you tell me to wake up?” no, that wasn’t right. The voice that had called out to him had been male. Link looked over his shoulder to see if maybe Pipit or Groose had called out to him, but neither of them were in his line of view. 

“Well yeah, but that was like, ten minutes ago.” Zelda said “Don’t tell me you went right back to sleep!” she scolded him but Link shook his head. “No… no I don’t think so.”

“ _ Isn’t there a faster way to do this? _ ” 

“ _ No. If I force him awake it could end bad. _ ”

Link frowned. The voice from before was back, but now another voice added. One sounded a little annoyed, the other rough and strained. Gently, he nudged Zelda forward so she would sit up and he could push himself to his feet and walk up to the edge of the Light Tower, where he slowly peaked over. There was nothing.

Just clouds. 

Clouds and voices he never heard before.

Or did he?

_ “Hurry up, Twi, I swear my toes are gonna fall off! _ ”

“ _ Legend. _ ”

Twi? Legend? Were those … names? Did they know him?

“Hello?” he called into the space beneath him, the frown growing deeper on his face. 

“ _ Holy Shit, he replied! _ ”

A cold gust of wind blasted into Link’s face and it was almost enough to make him move back from the edge of the tower.

“Link? Who are you talking to?” Zelda asked from behind him and Link shrugged. “I’m not sure. I think I’m hearing voices.” he said and scratched his head.

“Silly you.” 

He was falling, suddenly.

Someone shoved him hard and he was flung off the edge of the Light Tower with his head first.

Link didn’t have time to scream or bring his hand up to whistle. 

He gasped and met solid ground, coldness pressing into his palms. There were no more clouds underneath him. Just rock. 

“Sky!” one of the voices from before called as hands helped him into a sitting position. Link frowned as he, too, remembered. 

Yes his name was Link. But his nickname was Sky. The one helping him up was Legend. Who, too, was actually named Link.

“Legend?” he stammered, confused, half buried in his own furs and coats that Princess Zelda had handed him before. “What happened?”

“A poe caught you in an illusion.” Legend said and patted him down, making sure that he wasn’t hurt. “At least, Twilight said it’s a Poe. I only see a lantern. But apparently, he can see them with his senses.”

“I see… wait- Twilight?!” Sky’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he tried to look past Legend to the man that was standing a little to their right, his sword lifted. He seemed mid strike as a lantern clackered to the ground and dissolved into a black cloud. He sheathed his sword again and turned to look over his shoulder. He didn’t have his signature fur on him and his face was half concealed by scarf and bangs but - it was Twilight, alright.

Sky’s face lit up and he pushed himself to his feet. Legend had to support him a little. “Twilight!! How are you doing??” he asked him and crossed the small distance between them, taking him by the arms to look him up and down.

“I’m alright.” Twilight said and the skin around his eyes crinkled as if he was smiling. “How about you? How did you wake up?” he asked.

“Hm…. I was sitting on a tower. Someone pushed me off of it. Maybe it was the shock of falling?”, Sky answered as he scratched his cheek. He looked over when Warrior joined their little group, carrying Four on his back. The smaller one was wearing Twilight’s fur. Sky gasped and rushed over “Is he okay?!” he asked.

“J-Just c-cold.” Four stammered from his cocoon of coats and furs. His face was barely peeking out. Sky let out a relieved sigh.

“How did you come back?” He asked and turned to Twilight again, but Legend just threw his hands up. 

“He doesn’t want to say before he gathered all us up. He found all of us like this.” he said frustrated. Twilight just shrugged lightly.

“Let’s keep going.” 


	6. Eyes Wide Open

It was a little easier, the more they gathered. Not only did more people mean more warmth, them talking amongst each other took pressure off Twilight to explain himself or even speak. His mouth still hurt. His hands were shaking. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this up before he would start to freak out.    
  
His mind was racing. 

Twilight had never thought he would ever be forced again to use his wolf senses - he had tried his damnest to avoid it ever since that one forceful transformation back in Lurelin Village. He had absolutely despite the feeling of being forced to his knees, had felt absolutely disgusted at the way his bones and muscles had broken and shifted until he had once more been taken hostage in this wolf’s body that was so unfamiliar and so much unlike him. 

“Who’s next?” Warriors asked from behind them as they followed the flow of the corridors and rounded a corner, opening into a smaller cave. It was dark in here, too. At some point, Sky had lit a lantern that he held up to give them some more guidance. Twilight had maneuvered the corridors with his wolf senses, the world covered in a blue hue, only the colorful wafts of aura marking his path on ward. They had come upon many crossroads that his brothers undoubtedly would have gotten lost in, had it not been for his guidance.

He didn’t want to imagine where this would have led them.

So he could push down the edges of panic that were gnawing at every nerve in his body for a little longer. There were still four of them ahead. He tilted his head up, freeing his nose from the scarf as he sniffed. 

There was a scent of strange magic in the air, paired with the smell of a wind brushing through high grass in a nearly untouched land.

“Hyrule.” he said with certainty.

***

Link moved down the well worn path of Hyrule Field. The grass was tall and brushed at his calves. The sky above was a brilliant blue and the sun that was shining down on him was brightening the world around him.

Nature seemed to look especially rich today. 

And yet, Link felt a strange coolness that had settled deep in his bones. Every step felt as if the ground was going to break in at the very moment he would lean his weight on. 

Someone was watching him. Link knew this distinct feeling of having eyes follow him every where. He had turned around, but of course, there was no one behind him. 

His hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword.

“ _ Hyrule! _ ”

Ah, there it was. The strange voice calling out to him. Someone was going to lure him into a cave and try to take his blood. Even though it sounded weird. 

Trying to lure him in with a battle cry for the land? Although that’s not quite what it had sounded like. It was more like someone was saying a name.

Link stopped walking as a Bokoblin jumped into his way. 

Something was weird about it, however. It had a strange blue shine to it and made weird jingly noises.

“ _ Hyrule wake up. Wherever you are, it’s not real. _ ”

Link smiled, whistfully. “I thought so.” he told himself quietly and closed his eyes for a moment. He focused his magic to the surface, trying to make himself see the truth. It was a complicated spell that he had only read about in a book once, but he strangely still remembered it. 

Just for a moment, the world in front of him swimmed out of focus. The Bokoblin disappeared into a vague shape, a lit lantern that seemed to hover in the air as if carried by a ghost. 

The Bokoblin manifested again and so Link - no, Hyrule. 

He was Hyrule.

He was caught in an illusion.

As soon as he came to that realization, Hyrule’s rolling fields faded away and he found himself in the middle of a dark cave, no light illuminating his surroundings but the dull blue glow of the ghost lantern. 

Immediately, he created some distance between himself and the unseen enemy and didn’t allow himself to look around and tried to find the source of the voice that had called out to him. It had sounded vaguely familiar, like the voice of a companion they hadn’t seen in a long while.

Could it have been …?

Whatever the creature was that had its sight set on him suddenly let out an agonizing howl as a dark sword pierced it. The lantern clanked to ground, shattering into a black cloud of nothingness.

“Hyrule!!”

“Are you okay?!”

More voices, belonging to his brothers. The warm light of an oil lantern washed over the jagged rocks of the cavern he was standing in and he couldn’t help but let a relieved smile spread over his numb cheeks.

“Legend! Sky! You’re okay, too.” he said and Legend was in front of him right away, checking him over. “Look at you!” Legend smirked “You came out of the illusion all by yourself!”

“Well, I suspected something was up but I needed a nudge. Is that…?”

He looked over Legend’s shoulder to the figure that stood where the Poe had been a moment ago.

“Yeah, it’s Twilight. He’s back. But he doesn’t want to tell us until we’re all back together.”

Hyrule nodded. That made sense. He wouldn’t want to explain everything eight times over, either. He noticed a slight tremor that went through Twilight’s arms as he sheathed his blade once more and buried his hands in his coats.

“Are you alright?” he asked him, but it only prompted the older to bury his face further in his scarves.

“I’m fine. We should move in.” he said, but there was something weird about the way his voice sounded.

“We should.” Warriors agreed. He was carrying Four on his back. “The little sailor is still in here somewhere. And we know how bad Four was doing.”

“Hey…” Four complained but Warriors just ‘tsk’d at him and jerked his head.

“Lead the way, Twilight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you can forgive me for neglecting Hyrule a little, I just know very very little about his games and for me it made sense he would be aware of being in an illusion, given that he is the best at magic!
> 
> I hope you liked it, anyway!


End file.
